Afternoon Update: Kiwis streak around racecourse

Emirates Team New Zealand scored the first point in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, today when it completed the nearly 16-nautical-mile course in 46 minutes, 27 seconds.

The crew took Aotearoa onto the racecourse doing 30 knots boatspeed and riding on its hydrofoils. The top speed was around 42.8 knots and the crew averaged 20.7 knots around the course.

Full report to come.

UPDATE: 1115 hours

The Emirates Team New Zealand crew has gone through the dock-out show and is aboard their AC72, which is moored off the America’s Cup Park, at Piers 27/29. The crew was given a send off by Te Waka Huia, the Maori performing arts troupe that was popular at the Opening Ceremony on July 4.

In approximately one hour skipper Dean Barker and crew will be the first to contest the new America’s Cup course in the Summer of Racing. Regatta Director Iain Murray said he expects the wind to be in the 12- to 14-knot range at the start of the race and is forecast to build to nearly 20 knots.

“We’ve got a flood tide today so we’ve adjusted the 20-knot wind limit by +1.3 knots,” Murray said. “The limit is 21.3 knots for the entire race. Prior to start we measure the wind on a 30-second rolling box car average. After the start that changes to a 5-minute average; it gives you a little bit more buffer to smooth out the bigger gusts.”

UPDATE: 1040 hours

Today’s action on the racecourse can be viewed live on the America’s Cup YouTube channel, beginning at 12:00 pm PT. The warning signal is scheduled for 12:10 pm and the start at 12:15 pm.

Regatta Director Iain Murray said at the morning briefing that Emirates Team New Zealand is slated to sail the seven-leg America’s Cup course. “We had a discussion Emirates Team New Zealand about sailing the shorter course, but it was their wish was to sail the full course,” Murray said.

The course is seven legs in total, measuring about 16 nautical miles. The first short reach leg is approximately .45 miles, followed by a 2.5-mile run to the leeward gate. Four legs of windward/leeward work follow, each at 3 miles, and the course concludes with a .9 mile reach to the finish off the America’s Cup Park, at Piers 27/29.

Statement from Max Sirena, skipper of Luna Rossa Challenge 2013
“I want to clarify the reason for which we are not racing today. As everybody knows we have protested the introduction of new Class Rules without the unanimous agreement of the competing teams. By racing under these rules, enforced by the Regatta Director with Race Notices 185 and 189, we would somehow silently approve them. This is not the case. Therefore we have no choice but to stay ashore until the International Jury has reached a decision on the matter. We have been forced into this position. We did not come to San Francisco to watch races, but to race.”

ORIGINAL POST: 0915 hours

It’s Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup today, but Luna Rossa has said it will not take the start.

The Italians are boycotting the first race in a dispute over Safety Rules. Emirates Team New Zealand will race around the course alone to collect the first point of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The forecast is for winds to build throughout the day, with 15-20 knots expected at race time.

America’s Cup Park and America’s Cup Village

See the full program of activities at America’s Cup Park and America’s Cup Village here.

10:45am – Emirates Team New Zealand Team Presentation and Dock Out on TV screens11:45am – Emirates Team New Zealand Fly-by12:15pm – Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Luna Rossa, live race commentary on the Deck with Bob Billingham